Newcomer talent is widely underused in Canada, but employers who tap into it see clear benefits to their business, a new report finds.
Immigrants face higher unemployment rates in Canada – in large part because of the challenges of having the experience from their country of origin recognized. Statistics Canada data shows the unemployment rate for recent immigrants – those who have become permanent residents in the past five years – stood at 12.6 per cent in June. In contrast, the rate for Canadian-born workers in the same period was 5.5 per cent.
According to the report, the lack of will to innovate not only limits employers’ ability to hire immigrant employees but hinders these potential employees from meaningfully applying their global experience in the Canadian context. One respondent noted seeing newcomers as “global navigators” with distinct cultural insights and language skills that can help position these immigrant employees as key players in building new partnerships and clientele worldwide.
Despite these barriers, respondents say organizations can take steps toward integrating immigrants, starting with de-emphasizing Canadian experience in their search for candidates.